Direct negotiations between Russians and Ukrainians began today in Istanbul, the first since the spring of 2022 and the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry announced.
"The two sides are in place," Ukrainian ministry spokesman Gergy Tykhy said, posting a photo of Russian and Ukrainian officials at a table, facing each other.
Russian television broadcast a Turkish mediator speaking at the opening of the meeting.
Officials and negotiators do not expect much progress in ending the war that has lasted more than three years, writes the AP agency.
A Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov sat at a table with a low-level Russian team led by Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.
A senior Ukrainian official close to the talks said the Kiev delegation was ready to "achieve a lot today" and had the right mandate to resolve key issues. He said the outcome depended on whether Moscow was serious about its intention to negotiate.
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